Footnotes

1. Genesis 37:6 tn Heb “hear this dream which I dreamed.”
2. Genesis 37:7 tn All three clauses in this dream report begin with וְהִנֵּה (v^ehinneh, “and look”), which lends vividness to the report. This is represented in the translation by the expression “there we were.”
3. Genesis 37:7 tn The verb means “to bow down to the ground.” It is used to describe worship and obeisance to masters.
4. Genesis 37:8 tn Heb “Ruling, will you rule over us, or reigning, will you reign over us?” The statement has a poetic style, with the two questions being in synonymous parallelism. Both verbs in this statement are preceded by the infinitive absolute, which lends emphasis. It is as if Joseph’s brothers said, “You don’t really think you will rule over us, do you? You don’t really think you will have dominion over us, do you?”
5. Genesis 37:8 tn This construction is identical to the one in Gen 37:5.
6. Genesis 37:8 sn The response of Joseph’s brothers is understandable, given what has already been going on in the family. But here there is a hint of uneasiness—they hated him because of his dream and because of his words. The dream bothered them, as well as his telling them. And their words in the rhetorical question are ironic, for this is exactly what would happen. The dream was God’s way of revealing it.